The Bucksketball Podcast episode 12: Tanking isn’t as fun as I hoped and a long day for Larry Sanders

We’re back! Producer Jeramey and I talk about things we love before Producer Jeramey talks about something he hates and I then hate that he hates that … or something along those lines. Then we get off topic as I rant praise Khris Middleton and Nate Wolters while dismissing their potential as players. Typical Jeremy, right? WHEN WILL MY VENDETTA STOP.

We move into more glorious Giannis talk and some upcoming schedule talk before finishing on the long day Larry Sanders had on Thursday before another horrific showing from me in The Basketball-Reference game.

Tell your friends about us and we’ll keep telling you about the Bucks.

It’s just not as fun as I expected, I think because it hasn’t really been fully embraced and they aren’t doing crazy things like experimenting with Giannis at point guard or letting John Henson shoot with his right hand. You know, really wild stuff.

That stuff happens post-ASG, no real tanking yet. Of course it’s not fun but it may be relieving in the sense that you cheer for a win but aren’t too upset when it doesn’t happen. I don’t secretly hope the Bucks miss shots and play bad but realize that they are not a good team and therefore aren’t going to win much. Kind of like watching and expansion team.

What does it matter if we get any of the top 5 picks? The star will just leave after his 4th year… I say we should do the smart thing, trade for Rudy Gay so we can remain average for the next 10-15 years!

Under what scenario is a first round pick allowed to leave after his fourth year? At minimum, he’s guaranteed to stay for five years and typically first round picks stay with their teams, so long as the team wants them, for around seven years.

Even in high profile leaving situations like Lebron and Carmelo, those guys stayed with their teams for seven years before taking off. It sounds like you’d rather have 15 years of average rather than seven years of intense excitement.

Im with you 100% on Middleton Jeremy. Aside from knocking down open shots what has he done well? I’ve never seen him do much of anything in isolation, he also doesn’t appear to move all that well without the ball (in his defense that might just be the Bucks terrible offensive scheme) but I don’t understand all the fuss over him?

I disagree with both of your assessments of Middleton. Middleton is one of the smartest players on the Bucks, he plays within his game, has an incredibally consistent shot, is unselfish, plays great D, and gets a fair amount of rebounds. Great catch and shoot guy, nice little pull up mid-range jumper, mixes it up well, goes hard to the hoop (and knows how to finish) and seems to be really coachable. 29 points today against the Wizards!! Slow feet on defense, what are you talking about??

calling someone one of the smartest players on the Bucks is not as much of praise as I think you intend it to be..I agree with you in that he plays within himself and has a very consistent shot but his D doesn’t appear to be anything more than average? He’s rangy but he has slow feet. I agree with you that yes he does try to go hard to the hoop but he doesn’t appear to be the kind of elite athlete that can finish in traffic. He’s got one or two nice reverse layups on the entire season but he has also struggled to finish on a number of contested dunks/layups at the rim.

Don’t get me wrong I think Khris Middleton is a fine player I just do not for the life of me see what makes him seem all that special? (If someone does see something please tell me, for real) He’s solid…let’s be thankful for that but let’s also not try and expect anything more than that from him

I think the key is to give Khris time. What I’ve heard on this site from fans is not that he is necessarily going to be a star, but to not rule out that possibility, either.
Also, what Ryguy says about Khris being unselfish and really coachable is huge. I sense that also with John and Brandon and Giannis and Nate… and I hope it’s true of some other guys.
This possibility of good character, to go along with youth and athleticism and skill — present and potential — is what is starting to get me excited about this team.

in my opinion i’ve always looked at middleton as having a mentality of a scorer and thats pretty much all he brings to the table. now when you assess him as that, hes no more than an average player with a ceiling of maybe a caron butler in his “prime,” he isnt a playmaker and it hasnt seemed like hes able to get much of the team involved in the offense very frequently. he is just there to take jumpers and hope they go in, also for where he plays he doesnt rebound particularly well, i personally dont really like him as a player but if he develops well its possible he could have a higher ceiling than what i think, just my opinion